Game apparatus.



S. W. TAYLOR.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. s1, 190s.

936,057. Patented 0cm, 1909.

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S. W. TAYLOR.-

* GAME APPARATUS.` APPLIGATION FILED 00T. a1, 190s.

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-UNH-ED STATES PATENT orio SAMUEL W. TAYLOR, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO GEORGE V. SEYLER, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

Application filed October 31, 1908. Serial No. 460,378.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, SAMUEL 1V. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to an apparatus for playing a game of chance.

The apparatus parts comprise two loose balls; a plate having a series of holes arranged in a circle-each hole being of a size to admit a ball, the number of the holes being immaterial, but preferably from three to ve times as many holes as there are loose balls, and means that will produce a shock which will have the effect to suddenly raise the balls and allow them to drop and by chance each ball to enter a hole. The determining rule of the game is that the position of the balls in the holes shall not count unless the balls take a predetermined position. For instance the rule may be that the Vtwoballs shall lodge in holes that are diametrically opposite each other; or that they shall lodge in two adjacent holes, or otherwise as pre-determined upon.

The apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the game apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section oi' the box or base and shows the signal bell. Fig. 3 is a vertical section in a transverse direction relative to Fig. 2, taken through the entire apparatus. Fig. 4t is a view of the dish-chute. Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the means for fastening the plate that cmers the discharge hole. Fig. G shows a dis A base box, 1, has a bottom plate, 2, and

walls, 3, which may be of glass, and a top plate, 4L, of any suitable material. Bolts, 5, extending through both the bottom and top plates hold the walls together. Upon the top-plate is mounted a glass-wall chamber, 6; in the present instance this chamber is cylindrical but such form is not essential. The walls ot this glass chamber rest on a base-plate, 7, which is provided with a series of holes, S, arranged in a circle. The number ot' holes in the present instance is eight, but this number may be increased or diminished. A recess or space, 9, is formed at the lower side of the base-plate, 7, and a shock-plate, 10, loosely occupies said recess or space. The shock-plate is free to have a slight up-and-down movement in the recess, and one purpose which this plate, 10, serves is to extend below all the holes, 8. Pins, 11, are fixed rigidly in the base-plate, 7, and these pins at the under side of this plate project downwardly as shown, through holes in the shock-plate, 10. Normally when the apparatus is standing the shock-plate is at its lowest position in the recess. These pins, 11, do not interfere with the up-and-down movement ot' the shock plate but merely prevent said plate t'rom turning within the recess.

Two loose balls, 12, are in the glass wall chamber, 6; the size of these balls permit them to t'ieelyentei'the holes, 8, and rest upon the shock-plate, 10. A cover, 13, closes the top ot' the glass-wall chamber and prevents the balls from escaping. This cover may be secured to its position by any suitable means, in the present instance by bolts, 14;, which extend from the cover to the baseplate, 7.

Tithin the base-box is a spring-arm, 15, having one end iixed in a hole in a post, 1G, which hangs pendent from the top-plate, a, and a set-screw, 17, in the post binds the end of said spring-arm; this construction permit-s of the spring-arm to be adjusted longitudinally. Said spring-arm projects horizontally and at its free end has a shoulder or lip, 18. The free end of this arm may be depressed for a purpose to be pi'esently described. A tube, 19, positioned directly below the center ot the glass-wall chamber, 6, projects downward, its upper cnd opens into the recess. 9, and its lower end has a slot, 20, in which the spring-arm, 15, hasl position. Vithin the said tube is a pin, 21, which is loose and tree and capable of a slight up-and-down movement; this pin extends between the spring arm, 15, and the shock-plate, 10.

A spring, 22, comprises two strips of sheet steel, one superimposed on the other, and one end ot' both strips is secured by a clamp, 23, atthe lower end of the pendent post, 1G, The free end of the spring, 22, is capable of a vertical movement, and carries a head, 21, which is provided with a passage or chute, 25. A slot, 26, opens through the top-plate, l, of the base-box; the head, 24, is supported or pressed by the spring, 22, against the under surface of the top-plate, as in Fig. 3,

. most position the lower end of the chute, 25,

terminates adjacent the shoulder or lip, 18, on the spring-arm, 15.

A disk or coin, 29, is shown in Fig. 6 and also is indicated in Fig. 3, as projecting from the lower end ot the chute, and overlapping onto the lip, 18, o1 the spring-arm. lt will be seen this disk or coin, 29, is the medium or instrumentality that makes a mechanical connection between the depressible head, 24, and the spring-arm, 15, so that when the head is depressed by down-pressure applied on the key, 27, the vfree end or' the said spring-arin will also be depressed. lt' a disk or coin, 29, is not in position at the lower end of the chute to make the connection just mentioned, then in such case a depression oif the key, 27, and head, 24, would not have any etlect on the spring-arm, 15.

A signal bell, 30, is supported by the pendent post, 16; the means for this support consists or' an arm, 31, which has one end lixed into said post, and said arm curves around the convex side of the bell and is attached thereto and thus supports the bell. The hammer, 32, that strikes the bell, has one end jointed at, 83, and thereby is movable in a vertical plane, and said hammer projects crosswise or' the spring-arm, 15, and rests thereon. lhen the spring-arm, 15, is depressed the hammer, 32, also will be lowered and then when the spring-arm is released by the disengagement of the disk or coin, 29, and suddenly rises, the hammer, 32, will thereby be thrown upward and strike the bell, 30.

The base-box, 1, has in its bottom, 2, a discharge hole, 35, and an arched bar, 36, is over this hole. A plate, 37, closes the discharge hole, and a screw, 38, is through this plate and projects upward and enters the arched bar, 86, and keeps the plate in closed position.

Normally the balls, 12, will occupy some holes, that is, any of the holes, 8. lVhen a person desires to try for a chance of throwing the balls int-o the pre-determined holes, it is necessary first to drop a metal disk or coin, 29, into the slot, 26; the disk or coin will slide down the chute, 25, and project from the lower end of the chute and lap over onto the lip, 18, as seen in Fig. 3, and thereby make the mechanical connection referred to. The key, 27, may then be depressed which will cause the head, 24, the free end or' the spring, 22, the disk or coin, 29, the spring-arm, 15, and the loose pin, 21, all to go downward; as soon as the downmovement has progressed far enough the said mechanical connection which the disk or coin, 29, eiiiected, will be broken by the disk or coin becoming disengaged, and thereupon the spring-arm, 15, will suddenly react and rise and force the pin, 21, upward causing it to strike or knock against the loose shock-plate, 10. As the balls, 12, are resting on the shock-plate, the stroke which the pin, 21, suddenly makes on the under side of said loose plate produces a shock that throws the balls upward within the glass chamber, 6, and the balls tnen Jfall back and by chance find position in some of the holes, 8. It the balls fall into the particular holes which were predetermined, the game is won. As the down movement of the key, head and disk progresses, the disk, which at first has an inclined position, gradually assumes a horizontal position, and presently the shoulder, 18, on the spring-arm disengages from the disk, and the latter is knocked or proj ected through the broadest and lower part, 40, of the slot and drops onto the bottom, 2.

lhile two balls, 12, are shown in the drawings it is obvious that this game apparatus may be worked with a greater number of balls, or may be worked with only one ball. A change in the number of balls here shown would involve nothing more than the adoption of a suitable rule for the determination of the game.

The head having the passage or chute, 25, is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The formation of the chute is as follows,-one side of the head, 24, is curved or convex from top to bottom and this convex-curve has a channel, 41, eX- tending with the curve; a plate, 42, separate from the head is curved and its concave side fits on the said convex-curve of the head and covers said channel, 41, and thereby forms the passage or chute down which the disk or coin must pass. The curved plate is held to its position by screws, 43. This curved plate has a slot, 44, extending from near its top down to the boss or sill, 45, at the lowermost part where screws, 46, secure the free end of the spring, 22. The slot, 44, opens to the disk chute, 25, and at its lower part next to the sill said slot is broader, as at 40.

l/Vhen a disk, 29, of proper size, or a coin, say of the size of a live-cent piece, usually called a nickel, is inserted in the slot, 26, the apparatus will operate properly. If, however, a smaller disk or a smaller coin, such as a copper cent, is inserted in the slot, 26, the same will leave the chute, 25, by dropping through the slot, 44.

Having thus described my invention what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

Isaid balls adapted to freely enter the holes aseos? l. A gaine apparatus comprising a base; box; a glass-wall chamber mounted on the base-boXg a plate between the base-boX and said chamber provided with a series of holes; a loose shock-plate below said series of holes; loose balls in the glass-wall chamber and and rest on the said shock-plate; and means to strike upward on said shock-plate and thereby throw the balls from the holes.

2. A game apparatus comprising a basebox; a glass-wall chamber above said baseboX; a plate on top of said box and support` ing the said chamber and having a recess at its lower side and provided with a series of holes opening through the plate to the recess; a vertically-movable plate within said recess; loose balls in the glass-wall chamber and adapted to freely enter said holes and at the same time rest on l.said verticallymovable plate; a tube below said recess and projecting downward into the base-box; a pin which is loose within said tube and normally contacts with the said vertically movable plate; a spring in Contact with said loose pin, and means to cause the said spring to be depressed and suddenly release and thereby force the said pin against the vertically-movable plate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 3o in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL lV. TAYLOR.

lVitnesses CHAS. B. MANN, G. FERDINAND Voer. 

